Volkswagen Ignition

Distributors

VW used a lot of different distributors over the years. The
original working engine, carburetor and distributor combination that came with
each VW should have worked really well. But
as these aircooled VWs have been around for many years, there is no telling how
many different engine/carb/distributor configurations they may have gone through and
and what kind of shape each component is in. Certain
carburetor/distributor combinations don't work, especially if you are using a
vacuum advance distributor on a carb without a vacuum port. If you have a
high performance engine with a long duration camshaft, you will not have the
proper vacuum signal for a stock vacuum advance distributor to work.

205 Distributors

The 205 refers to the 205 at the end of the VW number on the
distributor. There were actually many VW distributors ending in 205
and they differ significantly.

Distributor

Advance Design

Used in

Points

Condenser

Cap

Rotor

111-905-205-L, N, M or
131-905-205

vacuum advance only

Feb’64–1967 Beetle and Bus

111-998-059
(2 piece)

111-905-295A

111-905-207C

111-905-225F

113-905-205M or
111-905-205T

vacuum advance only

1968-1970 Bug and Bus (except autostick)

111-998-063
(1 piece)

111-905-295A

113-905-207C

043-905-225

113-905-205-T
& later

vacuum and centrifugal advance

1971 and later Beetle and Bus

1968-1970 Beetle and Bus with autostick

311-998-063

311-905-295C

113-905-207C

043-905-225

043-905-205
043-905-205 ZB

vacuum and centrifugal advance

1974 Beelte
Mexibeetle

01 011

02 074 - German
02 054 - Mexi

03 010

04 033

A 113-905-205T from a 71 or newer Beetle should work with a 30 PICT-3 Carb.

This is the most popular performance distributor for VWs.
It has a fully centrifugal advance and designed to be timed to 10 BTDC with a
total advance of 32 BTDC and therefore does not require a vacuum line
from the carburetor. This simplicity in itself makes it desirable in itself as this
allows you to setup whatever carburetor setup you like, dual or single, without
needing to modify the carburetor to work for the distributor.

The timing curve of the 009 isn't perfect and despite it's
popularity, many feel that it is a "poor" choice for a VW because of the
dreaded
"flat spot". This is particularly the case with the Solex
34 PICT-3 carb. This flat spot can be address in a number of ways, often
making the carb run richer or switching out the 009 with anther distributor.

There are at least three different models of 009 distributors: a
German model (identifiable by the "Germany" stamp on the bottom), a Brazilian
model, and a chrome Brazilian model (which ends with 094). All three of these
distributors have different advance curves, some advancing sooner than others.
The chrome 094 had the fastest advance curve, the Brazilian 009 was a bit
slower, and the German 009 had the slowest advance curve.

Rumor has it the the 009 was originally designed for stationary
industrial motors and constant high rpm use. The 001 distributor has VW#
126-905-205 stamped above the Bosch number and is primarily used on industrial
engines for constant high rpm use. The 003 was the successor to the 001 and 009
succeeded the 001 or 003 as per Bosch microfiche. The 001 or 003 Looks identical
to the "009".

Distributor

VW 126-905-205, Bosch 0231 178 009

Chrome Version

Bosch 9230 081 094

Can Use

0231 178 001, 0231 178 003, 0231 129 010, 0231 129 019

Not to be confused with

0231 137 009/113 905 205K vacuum-only-advance from 1966-67

Points

01 030

Condenser

02 086

Rotor

04 033

Dust Cover

039-905-241, Bosch 1230 500 139 > 1230 500 147

Cap

03 010

Distributor Cap Clip

034-905-265, Bosch 1231 251 033

Coil

6 Volt - 00 016, 12 Volt - 00 012

Timing Set At

Most applications - 5 to 7.5deg BTDC Static. Full advance should
not exceed 32 degrees at 3000rpm with stroboscopic timing light.

Similar to the Bosch 010, the 019 as known as a performance
upgrade and was likewise a Bosch factory replacement for the VJ 4 BR 8, the
distributor used on 36 hp powered transporters from July 1954 to May 1959. The
019 is a mechanical advance distributor and shares the same advance curve with
its predecessor, providing approximately 8.5 degrees advance at 1600 rpm
measured at the distributor, 17 degrees at 3200 rpm at the crankshaft.

The metallic sparkly blue version of the 019 was sold in a kit
with blue coil and special plug wires as a performance upgrade known as a
Screamer Kit. It retained the same advance curve as the standard version of the
019.

Bosch 050

The 050 distributor has around 28 Degrees of Mechanical Advance
and seems to be more popular in the Porsche community than the VW community.
It has a smoother advance curve (flatter line on a graph of rpm/degrees advance)
and the advance kicks in at around a hundred RPM lower than the 009. This
may make it a little more suitable for use in a van.. The "050" also advances to
a greater degree, around 26 degrees at ~3100 rpm, while the 009 teeters out at
~2650 RPM with a total advance of about 21 degrees. These numbers are
approximate, and will vary between distributors and reference literature.

The 050 uses the same electronic conversions as the 009, so using
a Pertronix or Compufire conversions are common.

The abbreviation SVDA stands for Single-Vacuum Dual-Advance and
technically can be used to describe about 20 stock VW distributors. It is
also used to describe the Aircooled.net SVDA which is a Mexibeetle 043-905-205
SVDA with "secret" modifications.

When properly matched with a carburetor, these can be pretty
responsive to your engine needs. A prime example is the 34 PICT carb that is set
up to run lean to meet the 1971 US emission standards. These tend to have
a noticeable flat spot when paired with a 009, but will be much more responsive
with properly matched SVDA.

If you have been running an original dual-vacuum distributor on
your 71-74 Beetle or 71 Type 2 and you switch to an SVDA, you will need to cap
off (plug) the retard vacuum port located on the rear (rear is rear) of the
carburetor.

Aircooled.net recommends that their SVDAs are set 28-30 full
advance HOSE OFF, and 38-45 total advance hose on. It is important to note
that WOT at idle in neutral will give you a different advance than when driving
under a load at half throttle.

The original 034 was Bosch 0231 170 034 / VW 043-905-205, made in
Germany and originally used on the 74 1600DP engine. It was later
reintroduced on the Mexican Beetle as the 043-905-205 ZB. It is readily available in the US and other markets.
Bruck "of Germany" has a reproduction of these and are made in China.
These Chinese knockoffs in the past have had issues with the vacuum canister.
As stated above, aircooled.net sells recurved 043 SVDAs with their proprietary
modifications

Notes: This is the Mexican manufactured version of the original
043 905 205 Distributor, originally used on 1974 Federal Manual Transmission
Beetles. This was used on Mexican production Beetles early on before they
switched to Electronic Ignition (year periods are unknown, but I believe it was
sometime in the 80s). This distributor comes with a Single Vacuum Can is
essentially a carbon copy of the original German made model. It uses all of the
same components of the original German Distributor except the Condenser as noted
below. Timing specs are the same as well and have not changed.

Many feel that this is THE Distributor to use on your stock
engine w/Solex 30PICT-3, H30/31PICT Series or 34PICT Series carbureted 1600
Beetle thru 1974 (75-79 w/Carb) & Type 2 1600 thru 1971. It is NOT recommended
for use with the 30PICT-1 or 30PICT-2 because the vacuum signal is incorrect for
the vacuum assist to work properly. This Distributor is essentially a "009" with
a Vacuum Advance Assist to help prevent hesitation in all of those Stop-n-Go
situations in city traffic. The Mechanical Advance takes over out on the highway
to provide the most excellent Advance Curve in all sorts of engine loads. If
you're running an original Dual-Vacuum Distributor on your Beetle 71-74/Type 2
1971 application(s), you will need to cap off the "Retard" Vacuum Port located
on the rear of the Carburetor. Available new from a number of VW Parts
Suppliers.

Mallory makes several distributors for VW use. You can get
these with or without the vacuum advance and will allow for better timing curves
and sometimes greater spark over stock setups.

According to
Scott Novak, the stock Bosch distributor cap can only handle about 28,000
volts before crossfire. The stock Mallory small cap can handle about 32,500
volts, which is about 16% higher. A Mallory Comp 9000 distributor cap can handle
about 59,000 volts which is 111% more than the Bosch distributor cap.

Magnetos have long been used on aircraft, stationary machinery,
motorcycles and marine engines. They allow for spark and electricity
without the need for a generator, alternator or battery. The advantage of
a magneto ignition is simplicity. Everything is contained in one unit, with no
need for a separate electrical system. In the early days of VW aeroengines, a
lot of agricultural and industrial engines used magnetos, so the early
conversions, including the plans sold to this day, used them. Nowadays, it is
virtually unheard of for commonly used engines to use separate magnetos, and
they are consequently rather scarce. Plus, they were often quite heavy. They
were typically driven from the flywheel end of the engine, via gears or chains,
or sometimes a direct coupling. The Ardem, Peacock, RSA and Falconar conversions
are typical of this type.

Early US conversions used this type of mag, but they also used
various brands of magnetos that plugged into the existing distributor hole.
Vertex still makes this type of mag. This can lead to a rather awkward looking
installation, as the magneto is taller, wider and heavier than the stock
distributor, and leads to a "beauty bump" in the cowling of an enclosed engine.

Revmaster seems to have been the first to market an engine with a true aircraft
magneto, initially a Bendix unit with two magnetos from a single drive, which
was mounted to the flywheel end of the crank via a separate accessory case which
also included a permanent magnet alternator. Competing accessory cases from
Diehl and HAPI followed this pattern, but used smaller and lighter Slick single
magnetos, and this has become the most prevalent form of magneto ignition. Great
Plains makes a very light magneto mount without an accessory case or alternator
that is a fine setup for the lightest, simplest, hand-prop applications.

Magneto ignitions are relatively trouble free, are familiar to
most pilots and mechanics, but require the use of shielded aircraft plugs (or
special adapters), and the harnesses and the magnetos themselves are relatively
expensive. The spark energy also tends to be a little low, and rather narrow
gaps must thus be used, which increases the possibility of fouling when compared
to other systems.

In VWs, they are sometimes used for "race" applications where you
remote start the car and aren't running a generator/alternator or battery.